NBC NEWS- Legendary rock & roll singer Ike Turner who was once married to soul diva Tina Turner, and whose marriage to her was a wild, rocky, turbulent and abusive one, has died. He was 76.

Mr. Turner had met and married Tina around the mid to late '50s or so. Throughout both their careers, they sang hip-hop and R&B songs that were at the top of Billboard's lists and have busted the top of the weekly charts with their mega hit songs, such as Proud Mary, A Fool in Love, It'll Work Out Fine and others.

Mr. Turner began using drugs, such as snorting cocain, drank alcohol to excess and became very violent and abusive to his then wife - constantly beating up on her, slapping, punching and knocking her around, as well as violently raping her against her own will and embarrassing her in public..

Tina, who was very badly battered and bruised and womaized, had began to seek restitution against her then estranged husband and had eventually filed for her marriage to him to be dissolved, ending their turbulent and abusive marriage. She left him in '75 and also went on to continue her singing career and today, remains one of the most popular and energenic singers around. She is very well-known for her glamerous legs and gorgious figure. They had one son, Ronald, who is Mr. Turner's surviving child.

Funeral sevices for Mr. Turner are pending. He is believed to have remarried sometime later. No cause of death was given, though his 2nd wife said that he had emphyzema.

The early '90s film "What's Love Got to Do With It" is an autobiography and was based on the true story of their turbulent relationship and Mr. Turner's womanizing and abusive ways during their marriage, as well as Tina's continued success after they broke up. Lawrence Fishburne played Ike and Angela Bassett played young Tina in the film.

The film is almost reminiscent of The Burning Bed, which starred Farah Fawcett.